Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Arclight Suzuki’s Lee Acree won two Suzuki Cup contingency races Saturday during CCS competition at Daytona International Speedway.

Acree rode his Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000 and GSX-R750 to unchallenged wins in Unlimited Supersport and Heavyweight Supersport, respectively.

Acree battled with teammate Scott Harwell early in the five-lap Unlimited Supersport race before using better runs through the infield portion of the 3.56-mile circuit to lose his pursuer. Harwell slipped back but held on to second place ahead of Suzuki GSX-R1000-mounted Fritz Kling, Tim Bemisderfer on his new 2002 Shenandoah Honda CBR954RR, Roadracingworld.com’s Geoff May on a GSX-R1000 and first-year Expert Darren Luck.

In the Heavyweight Supersport five-lapper, Acree came from third at the start to take the win. Acree outbraked 14K The Movie’s Eric Wood in the West Horseshoe on the first lap, then drafted by Harwell on the lowside of the West Banking. Acree pulled away quickly with 1:55 laps on his AMA Superstock bike and won by 12 seconds. Wood and Harwell battled for second until Wood outbraked Harwell into turn one and pulled away on lap three. Harwell finished third with former Daytona 200 winner John Ashmead fourth, young gun Jason DiSalvo fifth and rookie Expert Giovanni Rojas sixth.

CCS Unlimited Supersport Results:
1. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R1000
2. Scott Harwell, Suzuki GSX-R1000
3. Fritz Kling, Suzuki GSX-R1000
4. Tim Bemisderfer, Suzuki GSX-R1000
5. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000
6. Darren Luck, Suzuki GSX-R750

CCS Heavyweight Supersport Results:
1. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R750
2. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R750
3. Scott Harwell, Suzuki GSX-R750
4. John Ashmead, Suzuki GSX-R750
5. Jason DiSalvo, Suzuki GSX-R750
6. Giovanni Rojas, Suzuki GSX-R750

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ian MacPherson will replace Pere Riba on Team Ten Kate Honda in the Supersport World Championship Series.

In a deal that was set in motion when Riba announced his intention to abandon Ten Kate to ride the D’Antin Antena 3 YZR500 Yamaha left vacant by Alex Criville, D’Antin has paid off Ten Kate Honda to secure Riba’s contract release, and now Ten Kate Honda is in the process of paying off Klaffenbock Racing to release MacPherson.

Criville was forced to stop racing by unexplained fainting spells.

Unofficial Lap Times:

1. Josh Hayes, 1:59.997
2. Tim Bemisderfer, 2:00.703
3. Owen Weichel, 2:00.923
4. Jeff Wood, 2:01.118
5. Geoff May, 2:01.464
6. Tom Kipp, 2:02.174
7. Scott Harwell, 2:02.176
8. Andrew Nelson, 2:02.721
9. Fritz Kling, 2:03.119
10. James Compton, 2:03.09

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Michael Barnes was leading when the second Unlimited Superbike race at Daytona was red-flagged due to rain after four laps. Lee Acree had already crashed in the chicane (unhurt) after he was hit from behind by Shawn Higbee, who then ran over Acree. Highbee continued on in fifth with his bike’s bubble broken.

After it was stopped, the race was declared a wet race, a slick spot in the chicane was coned off, and the event was restarted for eight laps with riders on DOT-labelled dry-pattern tires, as the track was not wet enough for rain tires. Acree restarted on a spare bike but pitted immediately.

Michael Barnes ran away with the restart, winning by about 12 seconds from the closing-up-at-the-finish group of Eric Wood, Shawn Higbee and Scott Greenwood. Greenwood ran second for much of the race but was caught and passed by Wood and Higbee on the last lap.

1. Michael Barnes, GSX-R750, 12 laps
2. Eric Wood, GSX-R750
3. Shawn Higbee, GSX-R750
4. Scott Greenwood, GSX-R750
5. Mike Himmelsbach, RSV Mille R
6. Owen Richie, GSX-R750
7. Craig Connell, GSX-R750
8. Cory Call, GSX-R1000
9. Darry Wilbur, YZF-R1
10. Chris Rankin, GSX-R750
11. Larry Pegram, GSX-R750
12. Dave Alley, GSX-R750
13. John Ashmead, GSX-R750
14. Geoff May, GSX-R1000
15. James Kerker, CBR929RR
16. Rick Shaw, GSX-R750
17. Steve Fagan, GSX-R750
18. Michael Hanley, GSX-R750
19. Craig Shertzer, Duc 996
20. Gene Hall, GSX-R750
21. Eric Spector, GSX-R750
22. Matt Wait, CBR929RR, 5 laps
23. Ty Howard, GSX-R750, 4 laps
24. Jason Smith, GSX-R750, 4 laps
25. Steve Keener, GSX-R750, 4 laps
26. Nelson Suarez, Ducati 996, 4 laps
27. Justin Blake, GSX-R750, 4 laps
28. Kevin McCrea, GSX-R750, 4 laps
29. Chris Ulrich, GSX-R750, 3 laps
30. Joe Ribeiro, GSX-R750, 3 laps
31. Lee Acree, GSX-R750, 3 laps
32. Robert Presby, ZX-7R, 2 laps
33. Darin Polach, 1 lap

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racing veteran Randy Renfrow, 45, underwent surgery at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida on Saturday.

Renfrow was injured in a crash on Friday and, according to his longtime tuner John Lassak, was diagnosed with a broken patella plateau in his right leg, two broken bones in his right foot and four broken ribs in his back.

From a Marlboro Yamaha press release:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Mugello, Italy, Saturday March 2, 2002

MARLBORO YAMAHA MAKE ‘BIG STEP’ AT MUGELLO

Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi today completed a crucial three-day test session at Mugello with their upgraded YZR-M1s. The successful outing – with a new chassis the major improvement – rejuvenated the squad’s confidence after last month’s tests at Valencia and Estoril.

Checa ended up lapping the challenging Italian track 1.1 seconds faster than he’d ever managed on a 500, while Biaggi was also quicker than ever before, bettering his 500 best by 0.7 seconds. The Italian did tumble at the end of today, after running off the track at turn one. As a precaution the circuit’s medical staff advised him to visit nearby Borgo San Lorenzo hospital for a check up, but he was released without requiring treatment.

Both riders were so satisfied with progress that the team had already opted to leave the track a day earlier than expected when Biaggi fell. They will now prepare for next weekend’s IRTA tests at Catalunya in Spain.

“We’ve made a big step here, though we can still improve,” said Checa. “The work we’ve done with the new frame will probably be more useful to us than all our previous pre-season testing. It fixes the problems I’d been having in the corners; now I can get on the gas earlier and control the bike better. I feel a lot more comfortable, and my goal is always to feel comfortable on a bike, so I can ride as I like to ride.

“We’ve now got a good base set-up on which we can build at Barcelona and Suzuka, and if we keep moving in this direction things should get even better. We could’ve stayed for Sunday and gone even faster but we’ve already done lots of laps and got lots of data, so there was no point in that.”

Biaggi was also in good mood after the session. “On the whole the tests went okay, the new frame is definitely better, it makes the bike more rideable,” he commented after his brief visit to hospital. “I hope that the frame, plus the engine improvements we’re now working on, will make the bike even better. It was a shame I crashed – I ran off the track at turn one and couldn’t keep the bike upright in the gravel.”

Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio shared his riders’ sense of a job well done at Mugello. “It’s been a positive test, we’ve gained a lot of useful information and both riders are happy with what we’ve achieved,” he said. “The new frame is certainly a step in the right direction. Today we confirmed a lot of our expectations and also worked on settings and tyres. For sure, we can improve things some more, that’s always our focus, and we’re now looking forward to the final tests at Barcelona and Suzuka before next month’s first race. Max’s crash was a shame but it was nothing serious, he’s fine.”

The Marlboro Yamaha Team completes its pre-season testing programme at Catalunya (March 9/10) and at Suzuka (March 30/31), where the Japanese GP
opens the new MotoGP season on April 7.

LAP TIMES

Carlos Checa (Marlboro Yamaha Team) 1:52.1, (30 laps today, 130 in total)

Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team) 1:52.2, (23 laps today, 127 in total)

Unofficial Lap Times:
1. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-750, 1:54.998
2. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:55.369
3. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:56.587
4. Jason DiSalvo, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:56.809
5. Craig Connell, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:57.747
6. Larry Pegram, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:57.851
7. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:57.866
8. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:58.027
9. Owen Richey, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:59.872
10. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:00.086

From a press release issued by Buell:

BUELL PRO RACING SUPPORT PROGRAMS REVEALED

AMA Buell Pro Thunder and Formula USA Buell Lightning Series to Return in 2002

MILWAUKEE, Wis.–Buell Motorcycle Company recently revealed its professional racing programs for the 2002 season, announcing support for the five-round national AMA Buell Pro Thunder series and the eight-round national Formula USA Buell Lightning Series, presented by Buell Pro Series Accessories.

“Both Buell customers and dealers are actively involved in amateur level racing around the world. And we’re excited to add to that involvement by once again sponsoring programs that give our customers and our dealers an opportunity to compete at the national level in professional roadracing,” said Erik Buell, chairman and chief technical officer of Buell Motorcycle Company.

The AMA Buell Pro Thunder series, which pits Buell racers against twin-cylinder, triple- cylinder and single-cylinder motorcycles from many other manufacturers, will be a featured event at select AMA Superbike rounds. The events will be held in Daytona, Fla. on March 10; Fountain, Colo. on June 2; Elkhart Lake, Wis. on June 9; Brainerd, Minn. on June 30 and Monterey, Calif. on July 14. The championship runner-up Hal’s Buell team and the Tilley’s Buell and Kosco’s Buell team will be among the top dealer-sponsored teams competing in the Buell Pro Thunder class.

The Formula USA Buell Lightning Series, presented by Buell Pro Series Accessories, is a horsepower and weight restricted Buell-only spec-class. The F-USA events will be held in Daytona, Fla. on March 3; Summit Point, W.Va. on May 26; Loudon, N.H. on June 16; Toronto, Ontario on July 21; Elkhart Lake, Wis. on August 4; Long Pond, Pa. on August 25; Portland, Ore. on September 8; and Daytona again on October 20. Defending class champion Kosco’s Buell will return along with many other Buell dealer teams to compete in the series.

To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found onboard a Buell. Call 1-800-490-9635 for the Buell dealer nearest you. Or pull into www.buell.com.

Amateur GTO: 1. Robert Kruger (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Jeff Walker (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Leonard Santangelo (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Ralph Fernandez (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Scott Cunningham (Duc 996).

Expert GT Lights: 1. Steve Keener (Suz SV650); 2. James Monson (Apr RS316); 3. Tim Hall (Suz SV650); 4. Aaron Risinger (Apr RS250); 5. Brian Kcraget (Apr RS250).

Amateur GT Lights: 1. Alex Ferreira (Suz SV650); 2. Darren Danilowicz (Suz SV650); 3. Gregory Moon (Hon Hawk 700); 4. Tom Holley (Suz SV650); 5. Shannon Santoni (Suz SV650).

Akrapovic Amateur GTU: 1. Nathan Kern (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Jeff Walker (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Scott Cunningham (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Jorge Arana (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Leonard Santangelo (Suz GSX-R600).

Expert GTU: 1. Scott Greenwood (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Josh Hayes (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Jason DiSalvo (Hon RS250); 4. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Larry Pegram (Suz GSX-R600).

GP Singles: 1. Brian Kcraget (Hon RS125); 2. Darrin Mitchell (Hon RS125); 3. Steve Genter (Hon RS125); 4. Dale Greenwood Jr. (Hon RS125); 5. Steve Wenner (Hon RS125).

SuperSingles: 1. Elliot Burgess (MuZ 760); 2. Jerry Wood (Duc 570); 3. Gary Cotterell (Duc 720); 4. Herbert Robinson (BMW); 5. Clive Chitty.

Ultra-Lightweight Sportsman: 1. Harry Barlow (Yam 250); 2. David Roe (Yam 250); 3. Duane Francis.

Expert Heavyweight Superbike: 1. Michael Himmelsbach (Apr RSV1000R); 2. Scott Hermersmann (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Darren Luck (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Anthony Fania (Suz GSX-R750).

Expert Lightweight Supersport: 1. David Yaakov (Suz SV650); 2. R. Todd Keesee (Suz SV650); 3. Erick Maillard (Suz SV650); 4. Brian Suffridge (Suz SV650); 5. John Linder (Suz SV650).

Amateur Lightweight Supersport: 1. Alex Ferreira (Suz SV650); 2. Tom Holley (Suz SV650); 3. Shannon Santoni (Suz SV650); 4. Darren Danilowicz (Suz SV650); 5. Terry Walker (Suz SV650).

Expert Lightweight Sportsman: 1. E. Cary Pigman (Lav 668); 2. Paul Conley (MuZ 720); 3. Trey Godwin (Kaw EX500).

Amateur Lightweight Sportsman: 1. Jacquelyn Halpa, (Kaw EX500); 2. Duane Francis (Kaw EX500).

Expert Middleweight Sportsman: 1. James Monson (Apr RS316); 2. Arthur Wagner (Hon 600); 3. Brian Salazar (Apr RS250); 4. Bob Close (Duc 750SS); 5. Charles Burnett (Hon Hawk 650).

Amateur Middleweight Sportsman: 1. Gregory Moon (Hon Hawk 700); 2. Jay Carpentier (Apr RS250); 3. Bruce Kahlhamer (Apr RS316); 4. MacAllister Griffiths (Apr RS250); 5. James Martin (Apr RS250).

Amateur Middleweight Supersport: 1. Nathan Kern (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Scott Cunningham (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Chris Tardieu (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Jeff Walker (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Leonard Santangelo (Suz GSX-R600).